White House Orders More Troops To Middle East

Bloomberg reports:

President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of about 1,500 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The purpose of the deployment is to enhance the protection of forces already in the region that are dedicated to missile defense, freedom of navigation in Persian Gulf waters and other objectives, according to a Pentagon notice to congressional defense committees obtained by Bloomberg.

It wasn’t immediately clear where the troops would be sent. Trump confirmed the deployment as he departed the White House on Friday for Japan, calling the troops “mostly protective.”